Almost No Regrets
by Nimash
Summary: This was supposed to be the happiest day of her life; her own wedding. Then why did she feel like it was a huge mistake? Twoshot.
1. Almost No Regrets

(Almost) No Regrets

_Something old,_

_Something new,_

_Something borrowed,_

_Something blue,_

_And a lucky six pence shoe._

Haruhi Fujioka had never believed in such silly superstitions. Her father, on the other hand…

"Haruhi! Oh, Haruhi, how could I be such an idiot? You don't have anything blue _or_ borrowed!"

The brunette sighed, sitting on the Victorian chair, her elbows resting on the vanity, fingers rubbing her temples. This was her wedding day; she should have been getting headaches because nothing was going right. Instead, she was getting headaches because everything was good enough for her, and Ryoji wanted nothing short of perfection.

He searched around the dressing room of the chapel frantically, the bridesmaids watching with slight curiosity, far too used to the man's special brand of involvement. After the initial shock of Tamaki proposing to Haruhi (and giving him a little "chat") he had become the self-proclaimed wedding planner, seeing as how his daughter would rather just get the certificate in a shirt and shorts and be done with it.

Mei didn't look up from her work spot behind Haruhi, idly doing her still rather short hair in a French Twist, spraying at least three cans of hairspray, causing Haruhi to gag and for Mei to snap at her to be still, and then somehow working a veil into the hair turned concrete. Finishing, she let her gaze flicker towards Ranka, who had somewhat calmed down by now, and sighed, reaching up to her earlobes.

"Well," she commented, unfastening the latch of her light and twinkling sapphire blue earrings, "It's lucky that these clash with the cream Maid of Honor's dress."

Haruhi watched as her father let out a deep breath of relief, mumbling, "Mei, you're a lifesaver. Kotoko would have haunted me for the rest of my life if I had let our little Haruhi walk out there like that!"

The earrings sparkled in the light of the spare room, the bridesmaids gathering around and cooing at how beautiful Haruhi looked, Mei handing her the earrings. "I honestly don't need them," Haruhi argued, already not feeling like herself in this makeup, dress, and heels.

Mei argued, "Just do it for your dad, Haruhi. He's already complaining that you never let him do anything, and I don't want to have to put up with any more of it."

Ryoji smiled, watching as his little girl refused once more, stating that the superstition was silly, and that she didn't want to wear earrings. Of course, he couldn't call her his little girl anymore. She was a young woman, in the middle of law school, about to get married. He watched as she scowled, her face no less beautiful.

Her makeup was slight and made her glow, her chocolate orbs seeming even bigger and brighter, her lips a light pink. Every single brown hair was in place, the long, translucent white veil flowing behind her, even as she was sitting.

The dress, designed by the Hitachiin Twins, was _her_. Simple, classic, understated elegance. An a-line sleeveless scoop, rouging, with a simple belt of glistening diamonds resting on her tiny waist, the skirt flaring out only a hair.

As far as Haruhi knew, Tamaki had asked the twins to make the dress, forced it upon her, and that was that. Ranka chuckled to himself, recalling the actual tale.

Hikaru had pounced at the opportunity to make the dress. Tamaki was eager to ask for a "Cinderella" ball gown, beading, diamonds, the whole nine yards, in order to make Haruhi feel like a princess.

Ryoji had been with the twins and Tamaki, of course, as he _was_ the wedding planner, and just as he was about to open his mouth to protest, saying it wouldn't fit with the theme, Hikaru beat him to the punch, slightly stunning him. "Haruhi's not a princess." He hadn't said it with scorn, as if he was disgusted, but almost amused, with a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips, his eyes glazed over, as if recalling a distant memory. "She's Haruhi."

With that, Tamaki was silenced, mainly Hikaru, with Kaoru helping with alterations and such, made the dress and Ryoji was left thinking.

The dressmaker knew his daughter better than the groom-to-be.

It left an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, almost as though he was missing some vital clue, like he wasn't connecting two with two. He had asked Kotoko to give him a sign, but nothing had happened; the wedding plans had continued without a hitch. He had disregarded it, scolding himself for being distracted from the plans, and moved on. However, watching her look almost unhappy on her own wedding day, the words haunted him. "She's Haruhi."

He shook his head, whispering below his breath, "Kotoko, are you watching her from up there? She's beautiful, isn't she? Stubborn, too." He chuckled at the last part, then grew a little more serious. "Kotoko, I don't want to interfere. You would kill me if I did, but…something's been nagging at me. Is Haruhi really happy? I've seen her with Tamaki, and she's smiled and laughed, but…I've seen her with Hikaru. That's when she seems to not laugh or smile, but be herself."

Looking up, he closed his eyes, sending a final prayer. "Give me a sign, Kotoko, I'm begging you; is she really marrying the right man, or is she making a huge mistake?"

Silence. Of course, what else should he expect? He was probably just being paranoid. "Seriously, Haruhi," Mei huffed, causing Ryoji's eyes to pop open, his head snapping up and alert, back to reality. "Just wear the earrings."

Haruhi turned to the mirror, to look at herself. She was getting married. She should've been excited, at the least. Then why did it feel so much like a chore? As if she was just getting up and getting work done as always. Tamaki was the man of her dreams, obviously, and she should be ecstatic to have her happy ending, especially after all she had gone through with Hikaru.

Wait-what…? Did…did she just say Hikaru? Haruhi shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thought. Just a slip of the…thought, I guess she could say. Yeah, Freudian slip. Oh great, her mind was now against her. "Earth to the bride. Come in, Haruhi." She blinked owlishly, watching as Mei snapped her free hand in front of her face, her earrings clutched in the opposite.

"Right, uh…" She looked around at the smiling faces. Her own father was even out of his usual wig and dress, instead wearing a conventional tuxedo, just for today. She couldn't let them down; besides, what in heaven's name was she talking about? Just a little cold feet getting to her, nothing more. "Fine." Rolling her eyes, she accepted the two small sapphires, quickly fastening them and looking at her reflection. No sudden change in her appearance. No sudden change in her thoughts, no 'yes, I'm sure' moment. Then again, this was marriage; no one was ever sure, hence why half of them ended in divorce nowadays.

Ranka walked over to her, a warm smile on his face, and the others buzzing around the room seemed to sense the 'father-daughter time' mood, and they all scurried out, insisting that they check on the rest of the wedding, and joking that they should make sure Tamaki wasn't about to die of anxiety.

"You look beautiful."

Haruhi smiled, the two staring into the mirror, Ranka placing his hands on the back of the chair.

"Are you excited?"

She lied, -what else could she do? - "Yes."

Ryoji sighed, concern starting to take over his features. "Are you sure?" he prodded.

"About what?" Haruhi was normally not one to beat around the bush; however, with her mixed feelings, she needed to stall.

"Marrying Tamaki."

"…I'm sure…"

Ranka frowned a little, asking, "Is there something you want to talk about?"

"No." Haruhi stared at her pink fingernails absentmindedly, avoiding eye contact with her father.

He knew he wasn't going to get an answer out of her. "You know, they say that you should live your life with no regrets."

She didn't reply, and instead started tracing the wooden grains of the vanity. Ryoji added, taking her hand and forcing her to stand up, engulfing her in a hug, "You know, I'll always be proud of you. No matter what you do, I'll always love to tell everyone just how amazing you are."

What was her father getting at? Instead of arguing, she hugged him back, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth and security. After a silent minute, the two stepped apart, sharing a smile, and Ranka exited, to be replaced by Mori, Hunny, and Reiko.

"Haruhi! Wow, you look so pretty!"

"Yes, very."

"Yeah."

She smiled at the three. Hunny had somehow convinced Reiko to wear something that wasn't a shade of gray or black, and she was now wearing a light pink bridesmaid dress, her belly slightly swollen from the baby she was carrying. "Thank you."

Reiko and Mori nodded, Hunny chirping, "Are you excited?"

"Very." Liar.

"Is the cake big?"

Haruhi laughed lightly, replying, "It's the absolute largest one Tamaki could find."

Hunny beamed at her. "Do you know where you're going on a honeymoon?" Reiko asked quietly.

"On a private cruise of some sort," Haruhi groaned. She would be missing her summer internship for an entire week. Lovely.

Mori told her, laying his hand lightly on her head so as not to mess it up, "Be happy." What in the world did he mean by that?

After a few hugs and smiles, they left as well, Mori and Hunny to take their place as groomsmen, and Reiko to take hers as a bridesmaid.

Kyouya came in next, his little black notebook and pencil gone, his glasses balancing on the very tip of his nose, as they always seemed to. Pushing them up, he began, "I'm sure you've already received the compliment countless times, but you look rather ravishing, Haruhi."

"Thank you, Kyouya," she smiled, watching as he looked almost uncomfortable. It seemed as though something bothered him, and now that she thought about it, Mori and Reiko had worn that same face, and the look had passed over Hunny once before he left, a mixture of confusion, concern, and what seemed to be doubt.

He continued, all business now, his poker face back on, allowing a small smile to peek through the mask, "I'm very happy for you. You and Tamaki make a good couple."

"Thank you, Kyouya."

With that, he made his way out of the room, Haruhi taking her seat once more. Kyouya mused to himself dryly, 'I suppose she isn't wondering why I only said good and not great. Pity, she can't realize it yet.'

Next to come –inevitably- were the twins. She braced herself, preparing for massive hugs, teasing, and other nonsense that would cause her irritation. Instead, she was greeted with the soft thud of only one pair of dress shoes hitting the wood floors, a single pair of amber eyes meeting hers.

"Hey, Haruhi."

"Hello, Kaoru. Where's Hikaru?"

"Ah, tono's an emotional wreck right now. Hikaru has to take care of it."

She raised a brow, adding in a slightly amused tone, "And you?"

Grinning, he replied impishly, "I managed to slip away and leave him to deal with the drama king by himself."

"Nice to know you care about him so much," she commented sarcastically, causing Kaoru to laugh.

There was a minute of silence, in which the light and playful mood had seemed to darken. "You know," Kaoru muttered, making his way over to the single window of the room, which overlooked the entrance to the chapel, "You really aren't that excited in terms of having your wedding in less than an hour."

Haruhi blinked, watching him. There was that same face again, and his eyes seemed to lose their mischievous spark. "W-what do you mean?"

"I know you don't exactly get worked up over these things, but…" Kaoru sighed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, muttering to him, "How can I put this? Um…I've seen you happier, with others…"

Again, she blinked. What was everyone trying to tell her? Couldn't she just get a straight answer out of anyone? Before she could complain, ordering him to elaborate, Kaoru smothered her in a hug, whispering, "Just follow your heart, okay?"

"Kaoru, you're not making any se-"

"Okay, see you in a little bit!" With that, he was already bounding out the door and down the hall, leaving her wondering.

She sighed, letting her head collapse into her hands as she sat back down, all the doubt and worry finally hitting her. Something felt…wrong… She kept assuring herself that it was just because she was so dressed up, and that everyone was doing so much for her today. Her heart wasn't exactly cooperating, though.

There was a light knock at the door, and she lifted her head, her eyes landing on the messy ginger hair, amber eyes, and awkwardly shifting boy. "Hikaru," she greeted.

"Uh, hi, Haruhi…" There was an awkward silence as they stared at the ground, Hikaru shuffling his feet. Haruhi noticed that she felt a little lighter, and she kept remembering all the good times she had had with him. Good god, what was wrong with her? Breaking the silence, Hikaru blurt out, "You look pretty! I-I mean beautiful! Yeah, uh…really beautiful…gorgeous…uh…" He let the pathetic attempt to make himself not look like a complete idiot die, watching as she studied him.

Why did he even come? This was stupid and painful. He wanted her, but…apparently she didn't want him. She was moving on; no, that wasn't right, since she never really loved him. Wow, unrequited love really sucked. Especially when you're on the "unrequited" side of it.

Honestly, he didn't want to come today. It felt like he didn't belong, almost like he was just barging in on her happiness. In the end, though, Kaoru, Tamaki, and the others had dragged him along, leaving him no time to wallow in self-pity. Until now, when the very reason for all that hurt was right in front of him, alone, looking as amazing as ever.

Haruhi observed him, not sure what to make of these feelings that she kept having around him. "Thank you," she muttered weakly, averting her eyes and looking out the window.

Why did every little thing she say make his heart thud and his legs feel wobbly and unstable? "So, uh…big day, and all." 'Real smooth,' he thought to himself sarcastically, mentally face palming, 'Don't you think she of all people would know that? Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid-'

"Yeah, I'm glad you're here for me." Another awkward silence, and realizing what she had said, or lack thereof, quickly added, "I mean all of you."

"Yeah…"

This was probably the most awkward moment of his life. "So, um…" 'Come on, think!' He did the one thing he could do; bring up good times. "Remember that one Halloween in high school? When Nekezowa scared us?"

She laughed lightly at the though to his relief, and added, "We got caught in that net, and…" She trailed off, her cheeks suddenly becoming stained with a light blush.

Crap.

He should've said something suave, something teasing, as if to dismiss the fact that there was ever anything in between them, something like "Oh, don't pretend you didn't love it," or "Watch it now, Haruhi, you're about to become a married woman." Quite frankly, however, he was too busy blushing a deep crimson and remembering how much he had loved that moment with her.

There was more silence, until finally Haruhi spoke up. "You know, I'm surprised Tamaki didn't go full out with his original 'Fairy-tale' theme."

"Oh, I convinced him not to. Anybody could tell you would hate it."

No, actually, not just anybody. She watched him, something in her mind clicking. 'He…he understands me more than I thought.'

At an attempt to try and get back to his original self, he sauntered over to her and looped an arm around her shoulders, sniggering, "Of course, I wanted something a little more…risqué…" Of course he didn't.

She rolled her eyes, deadpanning, "Not in this lifetime."

They both seemed to share a laugh, comfortable around each other. Before they knew it, they were talking about old times, Hikaru leaning against the vanity.

"Haru-" Ranka stopped cold in his tracks in the doorway, hearing her laugh and spotting Hikaru. Stealthily, he hid back in the hallway, his head popping around the edge of the doorway. This had been the first time he had seen her this happy all day. With one of the twins, no less. Kaoru? No, no, only Hikaru seemed to make her laugh like that. He smiled, looking up to the sky. "Thanks, Kotoko. I needed that. Now," he looked back to Haruhi, who was nodding and listening as Hikaru talked animatedly, "Can you help Haruhi?"

He let them share another minute or two of reminiscing, before making his entrance. "Haruhi, the wedding's about to start."

"Oh crap, I better take my place," Hikaru muttered, hopping off the table and briskly making his way to the door, past Ryoji. He looked back over his shoulder; sending her a smirk and mumbling, "See you with Tamaki at the altar, then."

Nodding, Haruhi watched him go, standing up and taking her father's arm. Was she making a mistake, though?

* * *

Tamaki gulped, nervous as ever, standing at the altar. The chapel was a sight to see, with deep woods and stained glass windows. However, it wasn't nearly as stunning as his bride. He looked over at the crowd of his and Haruhi's friends and family. Just before the procession started, a girl with sliver eyes in the front row hopped up, walking over to Tamaki and adjusting his bow tie, mumbling monotonously, "It's crooked. With all the worrying you've been doing, it's no wonder…"

"Thank you, Ayame." He smiled down at her as she looked up at his violet eyes, the two seeming to share a moment. She cleared her throat and hurriedly made her way back to her seat, burying her face in the program. Would it be considered scandalous to be blushing at the groom when he wasn't yours?

He watched her go, smiling. Kyouya, from his spot as Best Man, noted all of this. Yet still, Tamaki was convinced that Haruhi was the one. Idiot.

Then, the doors were thrown open, and the neat lines of bridesmaids and groomsmen came in, neatly arranging themselves around the altar.

As they did so, Kyouya leaned over to the blond, whispering, "No regrets?"

Blinking, Tamaki looked rather baffled. "Of course not; what makes you say that?"

"The girl in the front row."

Still confused, Tamaki looked down at his feet, pensive, only to look back up a moment later, and watched as the guests stood, the bride making her way gracefully down the aisle, sending gasps throughout the crowd.

Yet, neither bride nor groom quite felt that magic spark when they looked at each other. As Ryoji handed her off to Tamaki, he made a point of squeezing his hand far harder than necessary, and then giving him a meaningful look, retreating to his seat.

"Before I begin," the pastor started, looking over the crowd of smiling faces, "Is there anyone here who would like to state as to why these two should not be married? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

There was silence, however, the bride looked down, thinking to herself.

_You know, they say that you should live your life with no regrets._

If this was the happiest day of her life, why did it feel like such a mistake?

_Be happy._

She _was_ happy…wasn't she…? She was when she was with Hikaru…No, she loved Tamaki…right…?

_Just follow your heart, okay?_

What exactly was her heart saying? She looked over at the group of friends surrounding her, until her eyes landed on that one special groomsmen she just couldn't forget. Hikaru. Her heart was saying, Hikaru.

_You know, I'll always be proud of you. No matter what you do, I'll always love to tell everyone just how amazing you are._

But could she really just end this, here and now? Send all of her friend's expectations crashing?

* * *

Hikaru bit his tongue, fighting the urge to yell. He did say speak now, after all. He wasn't exactly the type to "forever hold his peace".

Looking over to Tamaki, though, and everyone in the audience, he realized it was easier said than done. Besides, how could he know that Haruhi loved him?

Sighing, he figured that maybe that was the point. He loved her. That was enough to speak up.

* * *

"I do, pastor."

A roar of gasps and whispers erupted, two voices, one of a groomsmen and the other of the bride herself, breaking the silence. Tamaki looked rather stunned, turning over to Haruhi, asking in disbelief, "Wha…?"

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just…can't do this…"

All eyes were now on Hikaru, and he could feel the pressure. What in the world was he supposed to say? 'Hey, sorry I'm ruining this precious moment for everybody, but I feel like I should because I'm a spoiled brat. So, what's up with you guys?' wasn't going to cut it.

However, as he opened his mouth, Haruhi spoke louder, turning towards him, her eyes slightly teary and fearful, "I care about you Tamaki, but I don't love you…I…I think I love Hikaru."

Well, that was unexpected. At least, for Hikaru it was. Everyone else in the Host Club, and the majority of the other people, already knew it. They seemed to nod, accepting all of this, as if knowing this would all happen. Gaping like a fish, he tried to think of anything to say, anything at all. "I, uh…I think I love Haruhi." He could've slapped himself. What was he doing, using third-person when she was standing right in front of him?

Now the crowd had subdued, watching them. Out of the blue, Tamaki began to smile, and then laugh, letting it fill up the quiet chapel. Everyone watched, rather shocked, as he turned to Haruhi, giving her a quick hug, and then releasing her, simply stating, "You know, I should've known. I…I guess the wedding's off, then."

"I'm sorry, Tamaki, I-"

"Don't be sorry," Tamaki smiled at her, taking this rather well, "We were never really in love, I guess." A few caught his gaze flicker towards Ayame, who was staring at him with wide eyes, and caught his drift.

The pastor, on the other hand, was rather distressed. It wasn't everyday that everyone seemed to mutually agree that the wedding was canceled. This wasn't exactly covered in any training. "Uh, yes well," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "I suppose, that's uh, it then."

Not knowing what else to do, the crowd began to stand up, making their way out of the chapel, mumbling.

Eventually, the group at the altar exchanged a few hugs, goodbyes, and not sure what else to do, simply made their way to the dressing room to change back into their street clothes.

The only two left were Hikaru and Haruhi, even Kaoru leaving them alone and disappearing in the mass of dresses and suits.

She sighed, tugging out the veil with some difficulty, allowing her hair to tumble out in a mess, "Looks like I'm not getting married anytime soon."

"Guess so…" She loved him. All this time, she had loved him. No more unrequited love crap. It was the greatest feeling in the world to know that, for once, he, Hikaru Hitachiin, was the winner. Taking her hand, he shifted closer to her, their faces only an inch apart. His knees felt like they would give way, and he was fairly certain she could hear his heart beating in his throat.

"What are you doing?" Haruhi asked, slightly blushing at the close contact.

"Something I've been dying to do since high school." With that, he caressed either side of her face with his hands and pressed his lips onto hers, Haruhi's eyes widening. After a minute, she let them close, melting into him and letting the veil she was holding fall to the ground, instead entangling her hands in his soft hair. Then and there, they stood like that, the empty chapel disappearing.

She wasn't getting married and had most likely ruined everyone's visions of her and Tamaki together.

He had pretty much crashed a wedding and was now kissing his friend's ex.

Any regrets?

None what so ever.

* * *

What was Tamaki to do now? He was still in his tux, saying goodbye to all the guests, taking their apologies with a smile.

He honestly thought he loved her, but…

"What in the world are you still doing out here? Almost everyone has already left and you're standing out here like an idiot."

Tamaki whipped his head around in surprise to find Ayame, her arms crossed over her chest, scolding him. "Oh, are they?"

Sighing, she asked, seeming to take it easy on him considering the circumstances, "What are you going to do now?"

"Oh I don't know," he mumbled, scuffing his shoes and aimlessly making his way down the stairs leading up to the door of the church, Ayame following and adjusting her glasses, "What is there to do? Get drunk and wallow in sorrow?"

There was a minute of silence as the two made their way down the stone steps, stopping on the sidewalk. "Well, you're going to need a designated driver," she stated, not looking him in the eye, hoping the dark covered her blush, "And I took a taxi here, so I suppose I have no choice but to follow you."

In the quiet of the night, right then and there, Tamaki knew exactly why he didn't feel half as bad as he should about Haruhi breaking the news to him. Smiling, he whispered, "Thank you, Ayame."

Just for a second, he could've sworn that she had whispered back, a small smile on her face, "Anything for you."

Nope, no regrets here.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own OHSHC.**

**Don't ask me why, but I got the sudden urge to write about Hikaru crashing a wedding, or something along the lines of that. I blame in on the song "Crashed the Wedding" by Busted. And well, this was born. I'm rather proud of it, anyway. It incorporates my two favorite couples: HikaHaru and TamAyame. So take that, cannon! :D**

**A Freudian slip is when you blurt something out or do something that suggest an oppressed thought. And if you want to actually understand what it is, Google it.**

**...Is it the pastor that does weddings? I don't know, I don't exactly go to church...^^U**

**Read and enjoy!  
**


	2. The Aftermath

The Aftermath

Time flies when your kissing your friend's ex-fiancee in an empty church. After what seemed like forever, the two pulled away, looking at each other.

"So, uh," Hikaru muttered, stepping back a little and intertwining his fingers with Haruhi's, walking back down the aisle with her, "What now?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I need to get home, so-" She stopped dead, causing Hikaru to stop as well and look at her, baffled. Haruhi explained, face-palming, "I've been living with Tamaki for the past year."

Oh, right. Hikaru shrugged, sighing, "I guess we'll just have to pick up your stuff, then." He looked back at the altar, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he added, "Unless you want to…"

"We are not getting married," she deadpanned. Sighing, she looked back down at the ground, mumbling, "At least not for a while…"

He smiled down at her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Yeah, they would date first. He didn't need the reassurance, though. He was in love with her, and that was enough. Still, it _would_ seem a little rude and/or inconsiderate to have their wedding so close to this little incident.

"I don't exactly have anywhere to stay, though…" Haruhi added, the two of them beginning to walk again, pushing open the massive doors that led to the hall, then turning and making their way to the dressing rooms.

"Oh, you can stay with me!" Hikaru chirped.

"Yeah, I guess I have to. Until I find my own apartment, anyway."

Living with him? Already? Sure, they had chatted, and had gone out with friends, but they hadn't exactly gotten to know each other that intimately. Haruhi wasn't exactly sure if she was quite ready to jump that far into it, let alone if it would have been practical to rush it all just to have another mishap. Still, he knew her better than she thought, and she understood him…

They had come to the door of the female dressing room, which was now empty, almost everything cleaned off and taken away. Hikaru blushed a little, stuttering, "A-actually, Haru, I was thinking that you could just stay with me…You know, it would save some money, and I live close to your school. Besides, you only have, like, two years left, and-"

"Kaoru lives with you, right?" She said it more than questioned, really.

"Ah, right…forgot…" Thinking, he covered, "But I'm sure he wouldn't mind! I mean, just for a few months, right? Before we…move out and find a place of our own…"

He had said the last part in a whisper, the thought of leaving his twin finally hitting him. Haruhi watched as his face fell slightly, thinking.

Sensible. That was the word. None of this was sensible. She should politely refuse his offer, find an apartment of her own, and let things happen properly. Since when had her life ever been sensible, though? She sighed, mutually agreeing, "All right. We'll just grab my stuff from Tamaki's mansion and go." She decided not to bring up any complaints of Kaoru living with them, deciding it was best not to tackle that so soon.

"Right." Instantly brightening, Hikaru sauntered over to the male dressing room with a spring in his step, beaming all the way. Haruhi watched him go with a small smile, then closed the door and grabbed her clothes, beginning to change.

It was funny, as she just stared at her wedding dress, all packaged up neatly and on the hanger, thrown over the Victorian chair she had sat in only what seemed moments ago. What was she to do with it?

"Hey Haruhi, you ready?" She turned at the sound of Hikaru's voice, watching as he opened the door without knocking, just assuming that she had already changed into her sweatshirt and jeans. Luckily, this time he was right. He wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders, following her gaze and cocking his head slightly, as if also contemplating what to do with the dress.

After a minute, he laughed lightly, musing, "Funny, I made this and for some reason I want to burn it…"

"Burn? That would be a waste," she reasoned, knowing full well that the cost of this dress was most likely enough to buy a three-year's worth of groceries. "I don't exactly want to keep it, either, though…"

Without asking her first, Hikaru made his way back out into the hall, seemed to spot someone, and yelled, "Hey! Pastor, uh…dude! Can you come here for a second?"

Haruhi snapped, "Hikaru, what are you doing?" She then proceeded to slap his arm lightly; trying to knock what little sense he had back in him. "The man is already confused enough."

He rubbed his arm, pouting. "Aw, Haru, I'm just getting rid of the dress."

"We can sell it, now let's just-"

"Yes?" The priest popped his head in. He was a young man; only slightly older than Hikaru and Haruhi, with a mess of dark brown hair and light blue eyes.

Pointing at the mass of white, Hikaru explained, "Just, uh, keep it. Give it to some commoner girl who can't afford a dress, er, something."

The man looked rather confused, not sure if they could do that. Could it count as an act of charity? But why would someone want to give away such an expensive and gorgeous wedding gown? "A-are you sure?" he asked in a shaky tone.

"Positive." Before he could get a confirmation, Hikaru grabbed Haruhi's hand, dragging her out the door, not even stopping for her to scoop up her bag, which she managed to pick up at the last second, calling over his shoulder, "Thanks! And uh…peace be with you!"

Haruhi scowled, stumbling after him as she complained, "Hikaru, what in the world was that? He probably doesn't even know if he can keep it. And I can walk fine on my own."

"Aw, you're so cute when you're mad."

"I swear, sometimes-"

The pastor watched them go, stepping out into the hallway. He raised a brow, thinking, 'Huh, what a strange pair. Left behind such a beautiful dress, too.' He sighed, looking over at it. He wouldn't forget this wedding ceremony for a while.

* * *

Haruhi pulled out her keys and opened up the front door, looking casual as ever. Hikaru, however, looked the equivalent of a duck that knew it was hunting season. Oh gosh, let the awkwardness begin. What if the maids spread the word? How had Haruhi lived like for these past few years? Had she become used to living in the lap of luxury? His apartment/penthouse was smaller and probably more low-key…Oh god, what if she took one look at it and was disgusted with it? With him?

"Hello, Mrs. Suoh." The two twitched, the maids greeting them kindly, albeit confusedly.

Haruhi nodded, explaining, "Ah, the wedding was canceled. I'm here to collect some of my things."

Hikaru felt rather nervous at the maids and butlers' stares, as if he was being observed and experimented on. He couldn't help but feel grateful that their manners kept them from asking about him. Surely they could probably connect two and two, though, and would realize that he was the cause of this…

Following her up the main stairs, then up another, smaller flight, Hikaru couldn't help but look around at all the marble, canvas masterpieces, plush carpet, and countless maids.

He and Kaoru had a cleaning woman come in twice a week. There was also one modern art piece hanging in the living area, above the couch, opposite the T.V. He didn't think any of the carpet was this soft, and last time he checked nothing was marble.

In other words, his place looked like a commoner's junkyard in comparison. He wasn't even sure why Kaoru and him wanted to keep it so plain and commoner-like. Deep down, he knew that Haruhi would have liked it, and the few times that she came over, she never really complained, which caused him to keep it that way.

Still, the last time she came over was at least a good year ago, and her tastes might have changed. Hikaru was brought back from his thoughts by Haruhi sighing as she reached the door to the master bedroom, "This place always was a little too grand for me, anyway."

Hikaru let out a breath of relief, feeling a little more secure. She was still same old Haruhi.

The door opened smoothly, revealing what looked like a hotel room from France. Iron-wrought furniture, including the grand bed, purples, grays, Impressionistic paintings of all kinds, and a sparkling chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were two doors on either side, and one in the middle, windows scattered in between all of them looking over the gardens.

Tamaki was no doubt put in charge of decorating. Hikaru twitched a little, taking in the…- well, how could he put this gently? – corniness, really, of it all. Still, it did have that romantic feel to it, and it could have been worse.

As Hikaru continued to look around the room, feeling as if he was on a scavenger hunt to try and find little bits and clues of what Haruhi's life had been like for the past two years, the girl herself wasted no time in opening the door on the far right, revealing a small walk-in closet, no doubt her own, seeing as how there were little to no designer labels to be seen, and there really wasn't much at all to begin with.

On her tip-toes, she reached up to pull down two suitcases from the shelf set above the racks and dresser, unzipping one specifically for anything in the bedroom, and beginning the easy task of folding all her clothes up neatly and pressing them into neat piles in the black rectangle.

Leisurely strolling, Hikaru seemed to find himself continuously coming back to the bed, to one of the bedside tables in particular. White drawers with black decal, a cursive "H" on the front, it matched the other, set on the other side of the bed, with a "T". _Seriously?_ Hikaru sneered to himself, unable to resist, _How tacky._

He paused as his fingertips brushed the handle of the top drawer, biting his lip. Throwing a look over his shoulder, he saw the open door of the closet, the light on, the soothing sound of Haruhi walking around, folding, and then packing becoming a gentle and even rhythm.

Really, this was an invasion of privacy. She might get ticked at him if he went through her stuff. Did he really want to risk it?

…Why was he acting like Kaoru all of a sudden…? Throwing caution to the wind and privacy out the door, like a true Hitachiin, he pulled the first drawer open, sucking in a breath, not sure what to expect.

Any hopes of finding anything that was even slightly interesting diminished instantly. Books, a few standard photos of her and Tamaki at various destinations, along with a few shots of the whole club together, and, no shock, more books. Honestly, Haruhi could be so boring at times.

"Ne, Haru? What do you want me to do with this stuff in the drawers?"

Her head popped out of the closet, her eyes narrowing as she found him, red-handed, holding one of her textbooks on law theory and such that would no doubt bore him to tears, and a photo of Tamaki with Antoinette. "Why are you going through my things?"

"Well, no need to get all worked up about it. You don't exactly have anything interesting here…"

Oh, so he hadn't opened the bottom drawer yet. No matter, he would see it soon enough. Haruhi waved her hand airily, as if this vague gesture could represent everything she was telling him, walking over and taking the textbook out of his hands, "Just set my things on the floor right here, I'll take care of it when I'm done with anything in the bathroom. Any pictures of Tamaki, put in his drawer, and any pictures of us together, well…" She trailed off, not at all sure what to do with them. Most of them, actually, was them just standing together, sometimes with Tamaki's arm slung over her shoulders in a friendly manner; the two could have been mistaken as best friends, not a couple.

"Just keep them in a separate pile for now."

"You got it, Boss!" he snickered, turning back to his very "official" work. Haruhi mused dryly to herself, _He can't pull off looking determined. It just doesn't suit him._

Heading back to the closet, where she was almost done, she realized that it wasn't the smartest of her ideas to leave Hikaru to go through her things. Oh well, it would get done faster. Besides, he had said so himself, she didn't really have anything that he would find interesting.

Moving on to the bathroom, she saw that he had made some progress with his sorting. When she passed, he asked with a wink, "How am I doing, Boss?" She rolled her eyes, causing him to chuckle and continue on.

The pictures weren't half as painful as he thought they would be. He was already almost done with the second of the three compartments, and so far so good. He had tried to understand the first page of one of her novels, and then promptly gave up, realizing that it was all basically nonfiction and dull. He came across a few knick-knacks, no doubt gifts from Tamaki, and a bracelet here or there that still had the price tag on.

When he reached down into the very corner of the drawer, the last photo stuck deep within, he severely regretted it.

It was the one photo of the two looking remotely romantic.

Haruhi was in an honest-to-goodness dress, Tamaki in a suit, the two on some sort of dance-floor, and when they should have been smiling, instead their lips were-

On impulse, he tore the picture straight down the center, taking too much enjoyment in the ripping noise. He grinned, then ripped the two halves into halves, and so on and so forth, his ripping becoming more violent, mutters of "Stupid tono" and "Just a stupid kiss" barely audible with all his incoherent grumbling.

Haruhi, sensing the violent aura, even from the closed center door of the bathroom, cautiously made her way back into the main room, to find Hikaru sitting amongst her piles of things, shredding something passionately into oblivion. Sighing, she walked over to him, standing with her arms crossed over her chest, questioning exasperatedly, "Hikaru, what in the world are you doing?"

Blinking owlishly, he looked up at her slowly, his apparent hatred temporarily forgotten. "Making confetti," he replied simply. Then, as if for emphasis, he threw the shreds at her, grinning and adding a "Ta-da!" for good measure.

"You're just making more trash for the maids."

Pouting, he averted his eyes, his irritation returning as he grumbled, "Well good."

She bent down, picking up one of the larger pieces of the destroyed photo, saw two mouths connected in a kiss, and sighed knowingly. "I don't even remember this picture," she muttered. Seeing as how he was still pouting, and now drawing circles in the carpet, Haruhi sat down next to him.

"Sure you don't."

"Hikaru, stop acting like a child."

"Well how the hell am I supposed to act? I love you, Haruhi, and I just saw a photo of you kissing tono!"

Haruhi studied him, watching as his eyes lit up with rage, his face contorting with pain. Leaning over, she did something rather drastic for her, but it was called for. Hikaru, feeling a light blush coming on at the close contact, blinked, unsure what to do, as she rested her head on his shoulder comfortably, let out a breath, and closed her eyes. "You could let it go and know that I care about you, and that I have all along. But I guess that wouldn't be the 'Hikaru' thing to do."

"N-no, it wouldn't," he stammered back, regaining composure and enjoying the warmth about her, now playing with a strand of her soft hair. "I guess I should have saved the confetti for a better time, though."

"Mm."

A comfortable silence settled, in which the only noise was the gentle click of a clock somewhere in the room, and their breathing, slow and even. Eventually, Haruhi lifted her head off of his shoulder, to which Hikaru pouted and whined at, until she cut him off, interjecting, "I'm done with my things in the bathroom. I'll start packing what you organized, and you finish with the last drawer."

Saluting, Hikaru replied, "Yes ma'am!"

She shook her head, making her way back to the bathroom to pick up her suitcase, drag it over to Hikaru's workstation, and then picking up her other suitcase, also taking it with her and opening it, seeing as how her first was almost full.

Hikaru opened the bottom drawer, and then, frozen, simply stared, his eyes wide. "H-Haruhi…?"

"Hm?" She straightened after setting up the suitcases, letting her gaze fall on Hikaru's shocked stance. It then hit her and she remembered just what she had kept in the bottom drawer all these years.

Pulling out a scarf, then a fashionable shirt, then photos, a stuffed Polar Bear, and hair accessories, Hikaru's eyes flickered between the belongings and the owner, obviously baffled, as he stuttered, "I-Is…is this all wh-what I think it is?"

Smiling, Haruhi sat back down beside him, Hikaru spreading the contents out on the floor. "Y-You…" He looked up at her, a mixture of what could only be described as awe, surprise, and pure joy in his eyes. "You actually kept all this stuff?"

"Well, I wanted to sell the shirt and scarf, and maybe give the Polar Bear away," she replied bluntly, but added in a softer and quieter tone, a light blush now coming over her, "But I couldn't bring myself to get rid of any of this. It just reminded me of you too much."

Shifting through the photos, they were all of her and Hikaru, a few with Kaoru as well, the three of them either smiling into the camera or the twins teasing Haruhi and having her scowling. Still, they went through each individual memory, laughing and smiling and remembering all those times back in high school. "Aw, you looked so cute in this one, Haru!" Hikaru cooed teasingly, waving the photo in front of her nose, Haruhi plucking it from his fingers gingerly.

Groaning, Haruhi examined herself back in her second year of high school, "Don't remind me." It was the year that the Host Club had all dressed up as animals for Halloween, hosting a party, Hunny and Mori taking time out of their busy schedule with college to visit and dress up as well. Taking a vote when she wasn't around, it was unanimously agreed upon that Haruhi would wear a bunny suit.

She was not aware of this until after the twins had carried her off to a dressing room, shoved the costume into her hands, and forced her to come out and enjoy the party, even though the pinky bunny suit was humiliating, especially compared to the other Hosts' costumes.

The picture itself was of Hikaru and Kaoru, dressed as cats, Kaoru laughing as Haruhi scowled, Hikaru leaning on her shoulder and poking her cheek with his index finger, grinning about how adorable she looked. After all these years, Haruhi had to admit that besides the costume, the party was more fun than she would have thought it would be.

"Oh! I remember this scarf!" He wrapped it around his neck, the strands of fall colors brining out his strawberry blond hair. With a dopey look on his face, he sighed, "This was one of my favorites…" A sudden thought occurred to him, and turning towards Haruhi, a slightly teasing and baffled expression on his face, he asked, "Haru, why did you steal my scarf in high school?"

"I didn't steal it," she shook her head, explaining, her eyes getting a dreamy look as she stared into the carpet, a warm smile turning the corners of her lips upwards, "You followed me to the cemetery on the anniversary of my mother's death before my dad met up with me with Kaoru, remember? I was paying my respects to my mother, and I caught you two spying on me. You and Kaoru said you didn't have anything to offer, and I told you that you two didn't have to, but you both insisted. Both of you set your scarves down besides the flowers that I had brought, and after a few minutes, you two left, my father coming in. The-the next day…" Trailing off, disbelief took over her face, as she closed her eyes, shaking her head, still obviously not fully able to comprehend what had happened. "The next day…your scarf was at our doorstep. I was going to give it back to you, but…I guess I took it as a message from my mother, and just kept it."

Hikaru stared at her, his eyes wide, then he looked at the scarf, slowly taking it off and hanging it around her neck, Haruhi's head snapping up and watching him quietly. Smiling goofily, Hikaru told her, "It suits you."

Going through the rest of the treasures, they remembered how he had won her the Polar Bear at a Summer Festival in her neighborhood, how she had worn that very shirt he had designed for her the day they announced to the school that she was a girl, and all the various hair accessories she had managed to pick up and stuff in her pocket for no reason from those times the twins had played with her hair, sometimes Haruhi joining in and fooling around with one of theirs.

"Hey, there's one more thing in here…" Hikaru reached back into the drawer, pulling out a green leather-bound photo album. Upon opening up to the first page, he saw six photos of the Host Club, some with only Haruhi and another club member, and just as many group shots. Grinning, Hikaru turned to Haruhi, exclaiming, "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Is that a compliment?"

"Well yeah," Hikaru rolled his eyes, explaining lovingly as he nuzzled her neck, "You're still my little Haru."

Sarcastically, Haruhi commented, "Lucky me." Still, she couldn't help but smile at his pout, how he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, flipping through the pages, stopping a few times to recollect a special memory.

* * *

"And there's us at graduation," Hikaru finished, pointing to the final picture of him, Kaoru, and Haruhi posing together, all in graduation gowns and caps.

Her gaze flickered over to a clock on the wall, and she bit her lip, standing up and sighing, "It's getting late. Let's finish packing and head over to your apartment."

"Ah, right, Kaoru is probably-" A familiar buzzing went off in Hikaru's pocket; he flipped his cell open as Haruhi continued packing, ignoring him. _Speak of the devil_. "Hello?"

"Listen, Hikaru, I know you're having fun in paradise, but your take-out's getting cold, and I don't know where you are. It's been three hours and you didn't even send me a text!"

"Sorry, _Mother_," Hikaru huffed, only to add in a more apologizing tone, "I really am sorry though; I just kind of lost track of time. I'm helping Haruhi pack, since she's gonna be staying with us. Is that fine?"

"…Haruhi's going to be living with us for who knows how long and you didn't even bother to ask me until now?"

"I forgot, jeez!" He heard Kaoru chuckling from the other end of the line, pouting.

Kaoru replied, "Well, yeah, sure. Just hurry and get here safe."

"See you in ten minutes."

"Bye, Hika."

Hanging up, he turned back to Haruhi, watching as her face was calm, admiring how nice she looked when she was focused on something. Zipping up the suitcase, she took both handles in her hands, Hikaru automatically trying to take both. "I can carry them just fine," she snapped. He raised a skeptical brow, watching as her muscles strained to lift both bags and carry them to the door.

After watching her heave them down the first flight of stairs, Hikaru rolled his eyes, snatched one away from her, and stuck out his tongue, laughing at her scowl. Once they were thrown into the trunk of the car, the two in their seats –Hikaru driving, only because he had beaten Haruhi-, the radio was turned on, a random Top 40's station blasting pop music.

Mumbling under his breath, Hikaru pulled out of the incredulously long drive, and then surfed through the radio channels, stopping when he heard the familiar rock music.

His eyes on the road, he didn't even see Haruhi's petite hand click on the radio buttons, going back to the much calmer pop music nonchalantly.

Twitching in slight irritation, Hikaru proceeded to flip back to the wails of the rock singer.

Haruhi didn't think twice about reaching over and clicking the button once more to the sound of a J-pop song.

Click.

Click. Click.

Click. Click. Click.

Click-Click-Click-Click.

"That's it!" Hikaru huffed, pushing the button once more to return to the rock channel. "I'm driving, I choose the station!"

"If you're driving then your eyes should be on the road," Haruhi countered, annoyance now taking over her voice. "Why do you even listen to that anyway? I can't understand what they're saying."

Sighing, he tried to explain, "You don't have to understand, Haru…You just, kinda…know."

There was a small silence, the rock now filling up the air. "You just know?" Haruhi asked, dubiously.

"Well that, and it's awesome." His signature smirk took over his face, Haruhi rolling her eyes. He smiled as the song continued on without a hitch, musing to himself, _I did it. I actually out-stubborn-ed Haruhi! Victory for Team Hikaru! Maybe now she'll see who's really in charge here. Maybe now she'll actually listen to good music and-_

Click. Pop had now taken over.

Letting out a deep breath, Hikaru gritted his teeth, not even bothering anymore. Haruhi looked out the window, an amused smile blooming onto her lips, watching as Hikaru tensed.

_This is going to take some getting used to_, they thought to themselves, scenery flashing by, and the sweet and catchy song blasting through the speakers, the silence becoming comfortable as they drove on to their new life together.

* * *

"Haha, Ayame…" Tamaki slurred, his limbs spread out in the car, his face frozen into a dopey grin. "Whazzat super-dee-duperdy bright light? Izzit a angel?"

Gripping the steering wheel a little harder, Ayame tensed as he flopped over on his side, his arms loosely dangling around her head. Through gritted teeth, she replied with as much forced patience as she could muster, "No, Tamaki. That's a streetlight."

"Oh." He hiccupped, laughing as if what she had said was hilarious. "Ayame, you gots the purtiest eyes. Don't wear no glasses anymore, m'kay?"

This time, she didn't reply, for fear of taking her eyes off the road and her hands off the steering wheel to choke him, which would inadvertently kill both of them. 'I swear', she thought, irritation growing as he continued to giggle and move around as if he was learning to control his arms and torso for the first time, 'The second I park I'm going to murder him; I don't care how drunk he is!'

Pulling into the driveway of his estate, Ayame's eyes widened as he once again let himself fall onto her, this time his head in her lap, gurgling, "Ayame…I don't feels like a ray of sunny sun sunshine…"

As if on instinct, she shoved the car door open, hopped out as quickly as she could, then opened the door on Tamaki's side, watching as he lifted his head, which looked rather green. "You need water. Or coffee. No, a slap to the face has been proven to sober many others up."

Tamaki giggled, practically falling flat on his face as he stepped out of his car, seeming to feel a little better. Ayame sighed, picking him up and supporting him as she walked him over to the front door, his feet stumbling and dragging across the ground at times. "Haha, Ayame baby don't be like that…"

My, he really was drunk. He would never dare say that to her if wasn't. All the more reason to slap him up sober.

How did one get a drunk moron to give one his keys to the front door of his mansion, explain to the maids to get ice water and to show you his room, walk up at least two flights of stairs, and have to deal with inquiring looks and questions of where Ms. Fujioka was, all while having to drag said drunk moron along?

With great difficulty, Ayame soon learned.

Out of breath and practically sweating, she didn't even bother to gently lay him down on his bed, instead throwing him onto it, too distracted with regaining normal breathing to notice that he slid right off and bumped his head on the wooden edge and then on the floor, giggling madly.

"Ayame…I wanna play a game!"

"Not now, Tamaki," she hissed, turning to a maid who looked rather confused, stunned, and nervous. What was she supposed to do? The poor girl was staring at her and the blond idiot, obviously trying to piece everything together. "He's…a little upset. Or he _was_, before he got drunk."

Apparently this was enough for the maid, but before she left, she popped her head back in and asked, "Um, Mrs. Suoh, er, I-I mean, Ms. Fujioka came in earlier. She packed up her things."

Figures. Ayame nodded, beckoning for her to leave. Turning back to Tamaki, she was faced with two options.

One, give him a shower and put him to bed, then leave.

Two, stay until he was at least sober enough to understand what he was doing.

Option one was out, considering that he was in no state to be left alone in a bathroom, not to mention the fact that she would have to, no doubt, dare I say it…undress him. She shuddered at the thought, instead walking over to where Tamaki lay in a mass of tangled limbs, still smiling and laughing, oblivious to everything that had happened before.

"Ayame yer so purty," he giggled, Ayame trying desperately to at least get him back onto the bed, and failing miserably. "Dids I ever tell ya that?"

"Yes, yes you have." 'While intoxicated, so it really doesn't mean a thing,' she added in her mind, deciding not to say it out loud considering he wouldn't be able to comprehend it. "Tamaki, can you just lie down on your bed?"

Now he was smiling impishly at her, shaking his head violently and slurring, "No siree. Nuh-uh."

Sighing, Ayame decided to try a different tactic. He was acting more childish than usual, so perhaps she had to resort to children's logic. "I'll give you a reward if you do," she bargained, giving up and just letting him fall back onto the plush carpet.

He beamed up at her, nodding and adding, eying suspiciously, as if she was about to pull a fast one on him, "Ands I gets to pick da prize."

"Fine, fine," she huffed, agreeing with a grumble. She watched with slight amusement as he popped up and flew onto his soft mattress with a soft thud, grinning at her. He arranged himself so that he was laying comfortably, his blond head leaning against the multitude of silk pillows. He patted the spot next to him, scooting over to make room for her. She sighed, begrudgingly following his orders and sitting on the very edge of the bed.

Tamaki sat up a little straighter, suddenly all business, or at least, he was as serious as a drunk could be. "Okie-dokies, nows you gots to gives me my prize."

Rolling her eyes, Ayame grumbled, "Well, what is it?" And where in the world was that maid? She should've been here with the water by now, it would help when the idiot woke up with the world's largest hangover.

Now his face was as lit up as a Christmas tree, and he giggled, "A kissy!"

Silence. Ayame stared at him, her eye twitching. "No."

"Aw, buts you said I could gets whatever I wanturd, and I wants a kiss!"

"No, I will not kiss you."

"Pwease?" He leaned over to her, his head about to fall in her lap, if it wasn't for the fact that she had seen it coming and was now standing, causing him to land square on his side. Regardless, he batted his eyelashes, stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, and flashed her his puppy dog eyes.

She immediately turned away, knowing she was too weak to fight them. "I still say no."

"Why?" he whined, sounding like he was five.

"You reek of alcohol."

"Noes…Smell my breaths!" With that, he opened his mouth and breathed out, filling the room with minty freshness. It was true, somehow all this time his breath hadn't been affected.

Still, Ayame was sooner going to jump off a bridge than kiss him. "No. We aren't even dating, it would be completely-"

"Buts Ayame! It's just a kiss!"

Something snapped inside of her. All this time, this is what she had wanted most. All this time, this is exactly what she was deprived of, because the idiot was after somebody else. She could only bare it for so long.

"It's not just a kiss!" she shrieked, letting all the anger, hurt, and pain out, still not turning around to look at him. Her eyes were beginning to tear up, and she continued, "If it was just a stupid little kiss, I would have gotten it by now! But you, you, blundering, egg-headed, blond moron were too busy chasing after the wrong girl! Where was my happy ending, huh? I supported you all this time, I faked every single little smile and laugh that I had just to make sure you were happy, even when I wanted to cry!"

Now a few tears were coming down her cheeks, and her throat hurt, but she wasn't finished. "All this time, I've loved you! And I hated it! You weren't mine, and you didn't want to be, but I couldn't get over it! I hate how much I love you; I hate it! And even after all of this, you get yourself drunk, I'm there with you, and you still don't see what's been in front of you all this time! All this time, I wanted to make you happy, and all this time, you've caused me so much pain…I…I don't even know why I bother! I…" she trailed off, running out of steam.

She swallowed, silently turning around, and then twitched, realizing that Tamaki had been snoring this whole time, and was clearly asleep. At the same time, she let out a small breath, realizing that he wouldn't remember anything she had said. Good, the last thing she needed was for this idiot to know any of this, even if it really was what she wanted deep down. Whispering, she couldn't help but let a sad smile take over her face, "I love you, you big idiot. Always have, always will."

Making her way over to the bed, she looked at his sleeping figure, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It felt good to get it out, to finally know it was out in the air, and that no one else knew. Carefully arranging him so that he was in his original position, lying almost princely on his bed, she sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"I love you," she repeated, as if testing the words out in her mouth. "I love you." This was the first time she had admitted it to herself.

There was a knock at the door, and Ayame called out for whoever it was to come in, watching as a butler brought in a cooler filled with water bottles. "Set it down there," she ordered, pointing towards the ground on the other side of the bed. Once the butler had done so, bowed, then closed the door, Ayame listened for his footsteps, waiting until they were no more.

Turning back to Tamaki, she watched his sleeping figure, how peaceful and handsome he looked, his lips slightly parted, cheeks rosy, hair a soft and beautiful mess. She loved every little part of him, and he would never know.

Sighing, she stood up, realizing that she couldn't just stay here all night. She would just call a taxi, then come in the morning to check up on him quickly and make sure he wasn't half-dead, although he probably would be.

Hesitating, she opened the door, but stopped cold when she took a step out. Looking back, Ayame bit her lip, making sure the hall was deserted. The idiot was out stone cold, so he wouldn't remember a thing…

Quickly she walked back over to the bed, leaned over, gently brushed his hair aside, and let her lips meet his, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation, even if he wasn't quite responding. Pulling away, she brushed off imaginary dust from her dress, and then left the room, one hand to her lips, as if trying to feel that little spark once more.

* * *

Tamaki listened as the door slammed shut, then let his smile grow.

Ayame kissed him. She loved him. All this time, she had loved him. Little had she known, he was actually recovering, and wasn't fully unconscious. He had heard every single word she said, and intended to see if he could set things right as soon as he could.

But first, he better run over to the bathroom, because all that alcohol was finally catching up to him…

* * *

**Upon a few requests and ideas in my mind, I decided to expand and give you this ridiculously long chapter thingy. Seriously, did you just read all that in one sitting? Gosh, I hope not...**

**Writing as a drunk Tamaki is fun. I highly encourage you to do so at least once in your lifetime. But I do not approve of drinking irresponsibly, or getting drunk *is underage* so bad tono! Bad! :|**

**This took _waaaay _too long. It's actually over ten pages. If you were wondering why I haven't updated in a little while, this is mostly why. Still, it was loads of fun to write.**

**Some parts were sweet, some were funny, some don't make sense, the list goes on and on here. I just hoped it made at least some sense and that you all liked it.  
**

**Read and enjoy!  
**


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